With the world gearing up for a massive increase in IoT devices and the building of 5G networks, what we heard at Mobile World Congress this year is that OSS/BSS vendors are welcoming the new requirements with 5G-ready cloud platforms that facilitate service providers’ network virtualization process. Every service provider we’ve spoken with is involved in a network function virtualization project, and a few of them, including AT&T and Telefónica, are ahead of the process with large digital transformation initiatives. In fact, Telefónica organized a full session that dove into its ambitious transformation into a liquid software-defined automated network, where each network node is under consideration with a chief goal in mind: the move to 5G and future network architectures that revolve around convergence, simplification, disaggregation, virtualization, cloudification, automation, and infinite capacity. We can tell the vendors got the message, which can be summed up in five themes: cloud, 5G readiness, open source, collaboration and partnership, and digital BSS.

There are a wide variety of initiatives, policies and mandates around the world designed to promote energy efficiency. However, energy efficiency strategies and investments vary depending on the industry, but the goal of reducing energy use and costs remains the same.

Highlights
• In recent years, smart meter and photovoltaic (PV) inverter suppliers involved in the new energy transition have been rapidly developing new internet of things (IoT) software platforms to create new revenue sources.
• Within smart metering, a key indicator for IoT adoption is advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) – over 80 percent of the communicating meters forecast to be shipped in 2019 will be enabled with AMI solutions.
• More than 11 million PV inverters will be shipped in 2019 alone, most will be connected to a software platform and controlled by the inverter companies.

In January, Ericsson announced it is taking substantial measures to fix its struggling Business Support Systems (BSS) business, including the booking of provisions and restructuring charges of SEK -6.1 billion ($687 million) during Q4 2018. Ericsson has been pursuing a cost reduction and portfolio modernization strategy in an attempt to turn its Digital Services business into a profitable one, and it has reported some progress in the OSS and Cloud Core areas of the Digital Services portfolio—but none in the BSS area.

Our second report examining telco digital transformation focuses on four technology areas: automation, which is the key to digital transformation, operator plans for using AI and ML, blockchain applications for telecom networks, and the role of open source software versus standards

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) shows IoT adoption in utilities is already strong, despite initial concern over which connectivity technology would 'win' the market. However, the technical limitations of connectivity technologies are not the biggest roadblocks to implementation - Total Cost of Ownership is the bigger limitation.

Already known for the innovative capabilities that propelled its cloud and SDN/NFV ascension over the past decade, Netcracker, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, never rests on its laurels and keeps pushing the envelope. This time around, though, the bar was lifted very high. Netcracker has developed and launched a new cloud-based service that essentially includes everything the company has in its OSS/BSS product and services offering. Named Business Cloud, the platform leverages Netcracker’s cloud-based SDN/NFV and IT portfolio—from VNFs to orchestration, OSS, BSS, portals, and a digital marketplace—and offers the complete set as a service to whoever needs to build a cloud infrastructure to turn up new digital services. Clients, please log in to view the full content.

This Market Tracker provides accurate data and analyses—including market size, forecasts, and market trends—to help clients make better business decisions in the NFV hardware, software, and services market.

To address several customer requests about convergent charging market vendor dynamics, we conducted additional research to further explore the “charging” segment of our 27 July 2018 Revenue Management Market Report - Regional; this segment accounts for $6B, or 51%, of the $12B total revenue management market revenue for 2017. After evaluating the convergent charging segment, which makes up more than 60% of charging, we found a slightly different ranking than for the full revenue management market: Amdocs stays at #1 with 17% share of the convergent charging segment, followed by Huawei (11%) and Netcracker (9%), which are #3 and #2, respectively, in total revenue management market share. Clients, please log in to view the full content.

IHS Markit Technology presents a new, highly detailed report on the world market for industrial Communication technologies. This report analyzes the market for the industrial Ethernet, fieldbus, and wireless technologies used within the industrial space.